A doctor and medical board member in Alaska who worked to outlaw gender-affirming care for trans minors in the state was charged last week with possession of child pornography. Days later, the charred remains of his body were identified after a fire engulfed his home in Wasilla.Dr. Ryan McDonough, an interventional cardiologist at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, was charged on Thursday with 10 felony counts of possessing child sexual abuse material after a months-long investigation. Numerous videos of young boys and girls being sexually abused, some including infants, were discovered on accounts associated with McDonough and on devices in his home, according to an affidavit by investigators. Related GOP lawmaker said trans people harm children. He just pled guilty to child porn charges. McDonough was appointed to the Alaska Medical Board by Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) in August, where he joined a conservative majority of physicians moving to outlaw gender-affirming care for minors in the state. With McDonoughs support, the board voted to advance one measure granting itself the power to discipline medical providers who provide it.The measure was a workaround after Alaska legislators balked earlier this year over the governors anti-trans crusade to end the practice in the state. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today What I see is a very small number of political appointees who happen to be physicians, going against the consensus of the professions theyre supposed to represent and regulate, Dr. Kevin Tarlow, a psychologist and assistant professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, told Erin in the Morning at the time.Fewer than 100 childrenin the state currently receive gender-affirming care, according to Identity Inc., an Alaska organization serving trans youth.McDonough attended just two monthly board meetings after his appointment, as the investigation into his possession of the child sex abuse material ramped up. The Anchorage Police Department began investigating McDonough sometime after July 31, the Anchorage Daily News reports, when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children forwarded a tip from the internet file-sharing platform Dropbox that apparent child pornography had been uploaded to an account associated with the cardiologist. Another tip followed in August.In October, police obtained a search warrant for McDonoughs internet service provider, Google, and Dropbox accounts, where they discovered multiple folders containing the abusive images and videos.McDonough resigned from the medical board soon after, without providing an explanation.On Thursday, a task force composed of the Anchorage Police Department, Alaska Bureau of Investigations Technical Crimes Unit, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys Investigations Unit executed a search warrant at McDonoughs home, where they seized his electronic devices. McDonough claimed no knowledge of the possession of child sexual abuse material but consented to the search, investigators said.McDonough was arrested and charged the same day, entering a plea of not guilty. On Friday, his wife posted a $50,000 cash bond and he was released, according to Alaska Public Media.Following the charges, McDonough was terminated from his position at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.On Friday, Gov. Dunleavys office claimed no knowledge of the ongoing investigation into McDonough. Dunleavy found out today about the charges and was never aware of any criminal investigation against him, a spokesman said. Background checks do not reveal future or current criminal investigations involving an appointee to a board or commission.On Saturday night, firefighters responded to a call at McDonoughs house in Wasilla hometown to former Alaska governor and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin (R) where they discovered the home engulfed in flames. Other occupants, including McDonoughs wife, fled the building to safety, but McDonough remained missing.His charred remains were discovered soon after and identified on Monday.An investigation into the fires cause is still ongoing, according to a report from Alaska State Troopers.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.